Life in progress

Song-Lyric Sunday – ’39 by Queen

I’m so happy that our dear Helen has given me the opportunity to feature one of my favourite tunes on my blog for Song-Lyric Sunday. You can find the prompt, which is “outer space,” here.

’39 by Queen is a fascinating song off the album “A Night at the Opera.” It was sung and written by Brian May, which is an important detail. Why? Because Dr. May is an astrophysicist, so one must assume he knew what he was talking about when he wrote the lyrics.

The song is about flying out in search of new worlds at the speed of light. It’s about a man who goes out to find a safe place for his family to live, only to find when he gets back to earth 100 years later that though he’s aged very little, his wife has died and his child is older than himself. It’s the ultimate scientifically possible time-travel scenario, with a sad, romantic story.

It’s a fantastic song. Here is the official video with the lyrics. You’ll find them written out below as well.

Enjoy.

’39
by Brian May

In the year of ’39 assembled here the Volunteers
In the days when lands were few
Here the ship sailed out into the blue and sunny morn
The sweetest sight ever seen.

And the night followed day
And the story tellers say
That the score brave souls inside
For many a lonely day sailed across the milky seas
Never looked back, never feared, never cried.

Don’t you hear my call though you’re many years away
Don’t you hear me calling you
Write your letters in the sand
For the day I take your hand
In the land that our grandchildren knew.

In the year of ’39 came a ship in from the blue
The volunteers came home that day
And they bring good news of a world so newly born
Though their hearts so heavily weigh

For the earth is old and grey, little darling we’ll away
But my love this cannot be
For so many years have gone though I’m older but a year
Your mother’s eyes from your eyes cry to me.

Don’t you hear my call though you’re many years away
Don’t you hear me calling you
Write your letters in the sand
For the day I take your hand
In the land that our grandchildren knew.

Don’t you hear my call though you’re many years away
Don’t you hear me calling you
All your letters in the sand cannot heal me like your hand